An: Well here it is! The next exciting chapter of Bastion! I know it's been a while but I've been busy recently so here it is! I hope you like it! In this chapter, Jaune gets used to his new threads. Kage shows a more personal side. Hino helps ou her friend and Ruby finds god! What could possibly go wrong? Also! In this chapter, I've been promising it and promising it but here it comes! I've been promising you a reunion with Beacon characters and here it is! The beacon reunion chapter! I hope you are ready for it!
PS. BEACON REUNION!
PSS. Also! Stay tuned after the AN for some chapter notes and some set up for the story!
This was it, Jaune thought as he sat down in the ARKM dorm was he looked at his pistol. The glowing blue side arms stilled seethed with visceral energy as Jaune held up his plasma pistol to his face. The weapon was well worn and had clearly seen bitter fighting over its years. As Jaune looked over the weapon he let out another heavy sigh as his hand flickers to his other new armament. The power saber once the property of Jurten. Was in his other hand and unlike the pistol, it looked pristine like it had just been shot off the assembly line.
As Jaune heald the ancient blade in one had. It was lighter than his old sword by a factor of easily ten. And if felt more natural in his grip in less than a few hours of it's the first gift to him the Crocea Mors felt in his entire life. As he flickered the sword around in his had. It called to him on some instinctual level. As Jaune felt like the weapon was communicating to him. Whispering things into his ears that he could not make out as he held up the shining silver blade to his face.
"What are you trying to tell me?"
Jaune asked his weapon as it seemed to writhe in his grip as the light of his dorm danced around the silver tip as he let out another heavy sigh putting away the sword and flexing his left arm where his powerfist rested comfortably in his left hand. His last weapon forms the quartermaster was a brutal weapon in his own words close quarters weapon that could break open a deathstalker with on hit a terrifying but intriguing prospect if it was proven to be true. Not that Jaune wanted to get close enough to deathstalker to have punching it in the face a feasible option that is. He was already less than likely to survive long enough to back to Beacon and punching ancient Grimm in the face for anyone that was not Hino really looked to be a recipe for disaster.
The blonde boy thought as she sighed once again, rubbing his hair and wondering what the hell he was going to do about this. The boy had a mission to go to soon, and he had to lead team ARKM out once again. Making sure that his team stayed safe to make sure that Ruby was safe and that they all made it back to the dorm in one piece. Had to make him get back in one piece, as it seems that every time they left the room, they would lose more and more of their own flesh. As Ruby had lost the majority of her original body as it was replaced with metal...
A disturbing idea to Jaune as he thought about the path she would head down if she kept on losing body parts. Or him at this rate, Jaune was luck most if not all of his injuries were healed by time in the mechanicus area but if this kept up?
"We are going to be more metal than anything," Jaune said tiredly as he rolled his eyes and-
"Were back." A calm voice said as Venke and Ruby walked into the room as Venke sighed heavily as Ruby fluttered over to Jaune. Slamming into him on a wave of rose petals as she wrapped him in a hug her eye whirring as Jaune rubbed the back of her head affectionately. "Hey Rubes, how'd it go with the mechanicus?"
"Great! I got a new gun! Wanna see!? Huh!? Huh!?"
Ruby asked bouncing on the balls of ther feet with a childlike joy as Venke sighed.
"Please say that you do. She's been like this the whole way back."
Venke said with a tired but happy look as Jaune smiled at his friends in Bastion. As Ruby smiled widely as she drew her new sidearm.
"What is that?" Jauena sked as Ruby pulled out what looked like a machine pistol and-
"It's a shotgun uzi!" Ruby said happily as Jaune scratched his head.
A Shoozi? Jaune thought giving the weapon a nickname as Ruby smiled happily at him.
"So it's a-
"It's exactly what she said that it was. It's an Uzi that shoots shotgun grade ammunition." Kage said as Jaune raised a lone eyebrow to him as Kage sighed.
"I had the same reaction when I first saw it. But! She wanted the shotgun uzi, so she get's the shotgun uzi. Right?" The boy said shrugging openly as Jaune rubbed his head. "Well as long as it keeps you safe."
"It does! It's the best ever!" Ruby said cradling the weapon like a newborn baby looking at it like a proud mother does a newborn or well Ruby with any type of new weapon. Which turns out to be pretty similar and-
"It's top of the line Bastion grade armaments! I'm glad you like it!"
A familiar voice said as Jaune turned his head as the door to team ARKM's door opened as Felicia came inside their room bringing with her twin square size holders as she smiled openly to team ARKM. "Felica? How did you open our door?" Jaune asked in more curiosity than anything as the woman had opened a door that Jaune knew so far that only he or a staff member coudl-
"I have a skeleton card!" She said happily as Jaune gave Kage a look for confirmation to the legitimacy of her skeleton card. As Kage sighed and nodded to Jaune. Giving him the look of it was better not to ask than get dragged down into a conversation, about the specific words on the item as Felica walked up to Ruby her sandy blonde hair shaking in her white robes as the acolyte of the mechanicus walked over to Ruby as a long metallic tendril exited her hood from somewhere...
In her body, as she examined Ruby's new toy.
"Tell me Ruby have you tested this weapons combat capability? I am eager to see if it approaches out optimal numbers that I have predicted to be shown. This auto mauler is designed for up close, brutal combat situations and was made for damage and fire rate but not! Accuracy in mind, it was how you say designed with the spry and pray mindset? I am curious to see how it performs so tell me the results should you survive." Felica said as Jaune grimaced at her casual mention of the possible, the genuine possibility of Ruby's death. As he stood up.
"Well, my weapon is made for range, up close and afar," Jaune said holding up his plasma pistol as it glowed a seething teal as the woman smiled.
"Oh? Plasma? Typical Death Korps, bight stong blunt but very effective. That is! A good weapon assuming that it doesn't' blow up on you after your first reload." The woman said grinning smugly as Jaune blanched.
"Blow up!? This thing explodes?"
"Oh! You didn't know? If you fire the plasma pistol to fast and don't take time to let it coll off, there is a slight! Slight chance that it will explode like a plasma grenade and kill you and almost everything around you in boiling ball of gooey energy." Felica said with a happy smile as Jaune's face lost its color.
"That's terrible!"
"I know! Speaking of bad weaponry, I see that they also give you some armor? Tsk. Tsk. It's good! For the Death Korps mind you but! Jaune luckily for you and since you have been such! A boon tot he mechanicus cause I have come bearing gifts!"
Felica said as Jaune raised his eyebrow to her. "Gifts like what?"
" Gifts like these! "
Felica said unbundling the strange square items she had in her hand to reveal twin glowing armor-
"Pauldrons?"
Venke asked as Jaune saw what looked, to be a miniature version of his old shield. Each only half the size of his ole armor but a bright. Bright yellow color and much thicker than his old shield as Felicia nodded.
"It has been relayed to me that you have lost your shield along with your sword so here! We come bearing a gift for you with the assistance of not one, but two! New shields for you! Try them out!"
Felica said walking over to Jaune and holding out one of the shields to him.
"Hold you your arm."
Felica said as Jaune paused hesitating once before sighing and doing as she asked.
Instantly the woman held out the shield as it latched. Onto Jaunes armor. As she shields seemed to fuse with his carapace locking itself into place as Jaune rotated his arm noticing that it was surprisingly light? As the shield weight lees the four pounds as he moved his arm with almost no additional difficulty.
"What are these?"
Jaune asked starring at his new shield? Pauldron as Felica gained a devilish smirk.
"These are you new shields! While having carapace armor is all well and good! It is recommended that you also have a strong physical amount of protection to go along with you! These are the top of the line best quality mechanicus handmade defensive items! Check this out!"
Felicia said holding up the other shield in both arms as she pointed it's flat surface to Jaune.
"Activate your swords disruption field and slash it!"
"The what field?"
"Make it go Sparky!"
She said in an irritated tone as Jaune took out his new sword flicking the switch on its side as it began to glow as Ruby cooed.
"So cool! You have to let me see it!" Ruby almost whined as Jaune flicker on his sword. As the smell of ozone filled the air as Fleica grinned.
"Oh? A power saber? Now that is a real weapon! Even with our standards! Now take that sword and slash this shield!"
"Why?"
"Just trust me ok?!"
Felica said as Jaune shrugged his shoulders waving his sword back before slid down on it cutting a deep groove into the metal. As the tip of his sword bit into the reinforced metal of her shield as Jaune saw the weapon leave a deep smoldering line as-
It moves? Jaune thought as the shield began to shift? And morph as it changed its composition as it moved? Jaune watched in awe as them metal shield began to slither and congeal as it began to knit itself? Jaune froze in shock as he saw the shield started to heal? Was the only word to describe what he saw as the metal began to reform itself where it was damaged and-
"Fancy huh?" Felicia asked as the metal actually self-repaired itself returning to its former perfect place as Jaune balked.
"What the hell was that?"
"It's called living metal! Whenever this shield is damaged or in anyway harmed, deformed or altered from its original state it will act like a living being and begin to self-repair! As long as you keep it away from the fighting, it will be a great addition to your defensive measures!"
Felicia said as Jaune's jaw dropped as the shield was back to normal in less than a minute. As the metal self-healed and-
"Is there any other surprises you have for me?" Jaune said still in with the metal as Fleica winked at him.
"Sure do! Check this out!"
The woman said reaching into her robes and drawing a small pistol of all things pointing it at Ruby and-
BANG!
She fried the weapon on full auto aiming it right at Ruby as the small girl jerked and shook as over thirty bullets slammed into her.
"Ruby?! What are you-
"I'm fine Jaune! Look! No harm!"
Ruby said shaking her skirt and top as the bullets fell off? As her clothes glowed blue and-
"I upgraded her usual outfit. Now it's almost entirely bulletproof with enhancing kinetic absorption! It will take a lot more to take this girl down next time. Maybe you won't even have to come to see me!"
Flecia said as Ruby laughed as she ran to face kage as Felica whispered into his ear.
"I also took a couple inches off her skirt, just for you."
The woman said running Jaune's elbow with her own as Jaune blanked before Ruby bent over to tie her boot as Jaune was flashed a look at a lacy black g string!? Of all things as his face went redder than tomato and-
"Not bad huh?" Felica asked as Jaune gulped. Looking at his friend's exposed underwear and did not say a damned thing. He needed something in Bastion as Felicia smirked at him. Jaune still blushing fiercely from his glimpse at Ruby's admittedly lacy panties as he blushed as Fleica snickered.
"What's wrong Jaune? See something you like?" The woman asked her bow eye grinning with mischief as Jaune glared at her.
"Yes, I did see something that I liked. Is that a problem?" Jaune asked the tech acolyte as she tossed her head back with a high shrill laugh that sounded like it was coming from a speaker system rather than a human larynx and set Jaune' teeth on edge. "Not at all! I was just curious to see if you like her upgrade-
"OH! I forgot! Jaune I got an upgrade!"
Ruby said suddenly blurring out Jaune her prosthetic eye popping out of her head and whirring at him as it blinked? In a disturbingly human and charming fashion as Jaune smiled at her.
"Upgrade what do you mean?"
He asked a ruby began to smirk at him.
"Check me out!"
She said pointing her right arm at him, angle it towards his face as it exploded. In one second Ruby's ear burst open as Jaune froze as all of a sudden ther was a very long black blade at his throat as his eyes widened in shock as Ruby's arm popped open to reveal a long pointy black sword sticking out from it. Now mere inches away from Jaune's jugular and gleaming menacingly.
"SEE! I got an upgrade! What do you think about it?! Isn't it cool!?" Ruby asked smiling happily as Jaune took a moment to gather the facts that had a sword to his throat before turning to Kage and fixing him with an icy glare that coudl cut iron.
"I had no knowledge of this," Kage said flatly in his usual tone-deaf Montone voice, Thought he did look slightly less dead to the world as his eyes widened in shock as seeing Ruby poking out a long sharp black sword form her right arm as she grinned happily at Jaune. "So! What do you think!? Isn't it the coolest thing ever?!" Ruby asked gushing with pride as she waved her wickedly sharp sword threatening calls to his face. As Jaune froze as he turned this icy glare to Felica.
"What did you do?" He asked girning his teeth and-
"Oh, nothing really! I just saw that most of Ruby's injuries came from close quater fighting. And even after giving her a pistol I decided to give her arm an upgrade." Flecia said smugly as Jaune ground his teeth.
"You turned her arm into a sword!"
"Not really! Most of her right arm was already metal so what's the harm? At least like this, she can defend her self if anyone gets to close to her you know?" Felica asked a Ruby poked the air.
"See Jaune! It's no problem! I can even poke people now! Like this! Take that! And that!" Ruby said in a sharp voice meant to sound harsh as she poked the air. "See! I can now stab people with it! I'm all like poke! Poke!" Ruby said jabbing her sword forward like a spear as Jaune felt deeply off-put by the weapon sticking out of Ruby's arm as he glared at Felica.
"Who pus this... sword? Into her?"
"Oh! That was Crawl! He is a senior member of the mechanicus and-
'Oh! I almost forgot! Jaune I heard from Venk and Ruby that you are looking to join a Bastion faction? is that true?"
Flecia asked a glimmer in her eyes as Jaune held her glare.
"Yes. But we are already decided that we are joining the lancers so yeah, we won't need to join you-
"Is that so? Well! If you do want to help yourselves and continue with more... upgrades! I'll have you know that the Mechanicus will welcome you all with open arms!" Felica said waving her arms as Jaune held the woman's glare as he felt deeply bothered by just how happy Felica seemed as he kept a neutral glare.
"Sorry, thanks but no thanks-
"Jaune! Don't be so quick to judge! I know that you are hell bent on joining the lancers of all people. Though it makes some sense that you would join that bunch of goody two shoes. Figures." The woman grumbled losing her cherry demeanor before smiling brightly as she smirked at Jaune. "Sorry! I get a bit too excited sometimes!" The acolyte said as she smiled as Jaune glared at her.
"Ok... So what do you want? We are not joining the mechanicus-
"But! Just because you don't want to see good sense does not mean that we can not have a... productive! Relationship!" The woman said as Jaune raised his eyebrow at her. "Productive? The hell does that mean?"
"Simple! You see as a special! Group of Bastion we have our own rules place upon us!"
"Like what?"
"Well, you see since we are not a field! Faction of the Bastion staff we are forbidden from actually leaving the school grounds. And! We can not really accompany the other factions on missions, which make our mission a bit... complicated."
The woman said as her brown eyes took on a sharp glare as Jaune raised his eyebrow at her. "Your mission? What even is your mission?" The blonde boy asked the tech acolyte as she grinned at Jaune.
"Simple! Jaune we at the mechanicus exit to find, preserve and refurbish old world technology! And we can not do that mission without going into the field!"
"But you can't go into the field."
"Exactly! We can't leave Bastion, but you can! That's where you come in!" The woman said as Jaune held her glare.
"What do you want from us?"
"Easy. I'm not asking you to join us, though I wish you would! We can offer you the best! And I do mean the best equipment and devices to maximize your survivability!" The woman said as Jaune said nothing as she sighed.
"Fine, be that way. What I'm asking you is this. Allow us to install an app on your scrolls."
"An app?"
"Yes. We have developed a tracker, of sorts that can find and detect valuable or world technology, such as but not limited to, data slates audio logs, weaponry or even prized STC's like you have received earlier. If when you do find this ties, I only ask that you, please return them to us."
And if we do so?"
"We will make it worth your while. You will be well compensated for all of your actions for the mechanicus of this I assure you as an acolyte of the priesthood." She said bowing as Jaune sighed heavily shaking his head.
"Fine. We'll be on the lookout for any... devices for you. But this better to get in the way of us joining the Lancers or bite us in the ass Flecia. You hear me? I want this to be a simple quid pro quo deal ok?
"You got it! Simple deals are often the best ones after all! You shall see how the mechanicus makes it worth your while as we reward those that are good to us." The woman said flashing Jaune an icy smile that chilled his spine as he glared at her...
Ruby was having a great day! As she ran through the cold hallways of Bastion, leaving a trail of red roses as she ran through the empty corridors, she was on a break after her new upgrade and seeing how she and her team only had four hours before their next mission Ruby was going to make the most of it! By doing what she did best in Bastion on her downtime training! She was going to go to the targeting range check out her now gun a-
WHAP!
Ruby slammed into a something soft but thicker than a brick wall as she let out aloud oof! As she bounced back from something significant and firm as she landed flat on her face rear up and moaned.
"Owwie... that hurt!"
Ruby moaned loudly feeling her aching head an-
"Ruby? Are you ok?"
A familiar voice as Ruby felt a shadow fall over her head as something pressed on her rear.
"Hey!?"
Ruby shouted face light up to match the color of her face as someone hand press on her rear end as she wheeled around only to freeze as a pair of soft brown eyes held her glare.
"Hino?" Ruby asked any fear of the shadow melting away in an instant as the gentle smile of her friends face warmed her heart.
"Your panties were showing, you don't want to give the school a sneak peak do you?" Hino asked in a gentle voice that reminded Ruby painfully of Yang's but without the Yangness of her elder sibling. With a warm, friendly smile on her thin pink lips as she blushed bright than her cloak using her semblance to zip up as she blushed brightly.
"I'm sorry! I-
"It's ok. Where are you off to in such a hurry that you did not look for directions?" Hino aksed smiling openly at Ruby her short dirty blonde hair light shift as Ruby gulped.
"Well I don't really have a place I need to be, I was going to the weapons range to test out my new gun but-
"Oh? You are going to the weapons range? If you do not have a place to be would you mind accompanying me? I have a place to be, and I think you would like it very much." Hino asked lightly bowing to Ruby as her dirt blond hair shuffled as the light caught on her massive drills as she raised her hands.
As the dim Bastion lights lit up her pneumonic drills as Ruby cocked her head.
"What are you doing?"
Ruby ake tilting her head in curiosity as her eye whirred out as Hino smiled.
"I'm going to mass. And I think you like to accompany me to it." Hino said as Ruby blinked owlishly.
"Mass? What's mass?"
"I'm goign to church Ruby. The church of the light. I think you would like it, and I know that I would like it very much if you would come with me." Hino asked as ruby coked her head.
"What is the church of the light?"
"The church of the light is the church that I have and my entire life. It is an invigorating and deeply personal church that is great for cleansing you of your doubts. I think that you would find it very appealing. What say you? Do you want to accompany me to mass?" Hino asked as Ruby tilted her head thinking about it for a moment before smiling.
"Sure! What's the worst that coudl happen?" Rubya sked as Hino lightly gripped her by the arm and smiled...
"Where am I?" Ruby asked aloud as Hino smiled warmly as Ruby was bent on her knees kneeling next to the body of Hino as they both sat in the middle rows of a line of wooden pews, as they kneel surrounded by other Bastion students. Most if not all of them faunus as Ruby and Hino were some of if not the only human students in the congregation as she bent on her hand and knees.
The room they were in was massive, at least two stories tall and very wide, filled with over a dozen large wooden pews on all sides with lush red carpets alogn the floor. As a seat was raised in the center was a large faunus with white mouse? Ears on him dressed in a large white robe as he spoke to the mass as he ended the ceremony.
"Now go my children! Go in peace as the light has commanded! Remember our guiding principles, my children! Follow the seven and the light will always walk with you."
"And also with you." The masses of students retracted as one as the mass finally began to end and-
"Now go in peace, and act as the light has commanded you to." The man said bowing as the shuffling of feet filled the air as Ruby look owlishly at the departing faunus students.
Ruby had never been a very religious people before, she had heard of church and religion but she never really got into hit but now?
Now Ruby was rethinking her position on the matter. The chur of the light? Was different than anything she had ever been to.
As soon as she walked into the church as she felt it. She felt warm like she was wrapped in a warm blanket as she instantly felt like all of her problems felt like they were melted away from her. As she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and calm fill her mind.
It was like she was free, in a warm flowing void as she lost track of time and felt like she was floating in an endless fathomless warm bubble!
It was warm and soft and made her feel like her mind was slipping as soon as she sat down to pray to the light and-
"Now! If there are any new members of our flock, I invited them all to come to see me for a personal invitation to the church." The man said as Ruby coked her head as Hino put a massive fist on her shoulder her brown eyes shimmer with what looked like fire? As she smiled at her.
"Ruby. Would you like to meet the father?" Hino asked as Ruby felt that same light warm feeling enter her mind as she felt her eyelids go heavy as even her fake eye began to shire slowly as it shut it's visor as Ruby nodded weakly.
"Yeah... I'd love to." Ruby said in an addled voice as Hino smirked at her.
"Good. Let us be off." Hino said lifting the off girl up off the pew putting it back up with her foot before taking Ruby to the front of the church to meet the father.
"Hino! How is one of my favorite child? Doing well I hope?" The man a large mouse? Faunus with a flowing white robe and a large scepter in his hand acting like a walking stick as his sharp brown eyes glittered like they were burning? Ruby thought as she swore she saw a flickering flame? In them, as he smiled warmly at her.
"Ahh! A new child to my flock! Tell me, child, what is your name?" The man asked his voice burning with passion as Ruby felt her mind fall into that same warm fluffy void of nothingness, as she felt her jaw drop as she fell to her knees.
"Ruby... Ruby Rose...
She said in a distant far off voice as the man smiled.
"It is nice to meet you, Ruby, it is always nice to welcome a new lamb inot my flock. My name is Erebus. I am the father of the church and I act as the word bearer of the light and I welcome you to the church of the light with open arms." The man said waving his arms up as Ruby nodded in a slow off-kilter motion as she smiled at him.
"Thank you, father... I-
"Tell me, child, how are you feeling? Do you feel lost? Unfulfilled? Like you are not in control of your own destiny?" The man asked as Ruby gasped! As she felt the temperature of the room raise, as it was like someone had lit up a space heater as a thin layer of sweat developed on her face as she gulped loudly.
"Yes... I do feel lost, unfulfilled like I am not in control of my own destiny." Ruby replied in a low monotone voice as her pupils suddenly dilated and expanded to nearly encompass her who eye as the man smiled.
"I see. I know how that is my daughter. To be lost, to be alone to be afraid. Tell me my child do you feel afraid? I know you and your partner Jaune who is the reason I am preaching here today after he was revealed as our savior. Tell me Ruby are you afraid?"
The man asked as the temperature of the room jumped, even more, to near scorching degrees as Ruby nodded her face now slick with sweat as her combat outfit gripped her thin form. Sticking to her like a wet bag as she nodded.
"I... I am afraid... I don't want to die. I want to go home... I want to see my family... I want Jaune-
"Ah. Our savior. I know him well. He is a true figure of the, and he is chosen by the light. As are you, you know? " Erebus asked his eyes crackling as flickering orange light burnt behind them as Ruby nodded.
"Chosen? Like me?" "Ah yes, my daughter. Even if you were not his partner and our savior's friend. Your eye is proof enough of your significance to the light. Do you like that child? Do you want to be significant in life and not meaningless? Would you like for the light to give you your purpose?" The man asked as his voice burning Ruby's face as she felt the rooms temperature skyrocket as she began to pant and fall as she nodded her head weakly.
"Yes... I want to be significant."
Ruby said as her eye fully expanded as her pupil fully encompassed her right eye as he nodded.
"Good. Do you accept the light as your savior?"
The man asked raising his scepter high above his head, the metal rod catching the light of the temple room as a large golden eagle snatching the light of the temple flickering like a shining star as Ruby nodded as her body was drawn into the heat.
"Yes. I accept the light!"
"Then I bless you and welcome you to our flock." The man said touching her shoulder with his scepter as Ruby shook an shuddered like a wire was in her as ther body felt like it was in a raging inferno as the man tapped her shoulder, as his eyes began to light and burn. As a wave of heat escaped from him as the man began to glow as Ruby swore he looked like the sun...
"The fuck is that?" Jaune asked as he walked out of the team ARKM bathroom ready to go see Ludo for his next mission as Kage was taking a pill? Jaune thought as the boy had a small box of numerous red and blue pills, with a calendar on top of them as he swallowed one slowly as he turned his light brown eyes to Jaune.
"Sure am boss," Kage said swallowing his pill taking a small cup of water n his head. During a plastic container as Jaune coked his head looking at the calendar on his bed as he saw number two hundred and forty written on the top of it as Jaune cocked his head.
"What's that number for?"
"The day when my pills run out?" Kage said merely taking the box of red and blue pills all stacked in neat see-through cubbies and sliding them under his pillow as Jaune frowned.
"What happens when you run out of pills?"
"I die," Kage said merely in his usual monotone voice as Jaune froze.
"You are dying?! You have a terminal disease-
"Sure do. And when these pills run out? I'm deader than dirt." Kage said matter of factly as Jaune's eyes widened as he took two quick steps forward.
"What's wrong with you? How long have you had this condition? How can you fix-
"In order? Let's just say I've had it for over a year, it's a progressive condition and no. Ther is no medical technique even in Bastion that can save me. Trust me I've looked." Kage said his light brown eyes betrayed no trace of emotion as Jaune felt a thing in his chest.
"Kage you can't-
"All men die boss. I'm no different. Neither is Ruby or Hino. We all die my times just almost up." He said matter of factly not showing any emotions as Jaune frowned.
"But! How do you know? Maybe we can get help and-
"Jaune. These pills are a godsend. And the only reason I am alive is that-
"Your pills! If they keep you alive, then they must have been manufactured somewhere! If we can make more of them-
"We can't. I've tried. Trust me, I don't know who the hell made them but these pills are one of a kind!"
"How do you know they can't be made? where did you find them?"
"The appeared out of thin air! In a cloud of pink! And fell right into my lap me one day. And they saved my life."
"Thin air!?"
"literally," Kage said in a monotone voice that Jaune knew to be deadly serious as he frowned.
"Kage. You are my friend. I won't let you die-
" You don't have a choice. When I die I die. Now stop worrying about me we got to meet ludo." Kage said getting up as Jaune gripped his shoulder with his power fist glaring at the boy.
"This talk is not over. Not by a long shot, you are my teammate and more than my friend. And I am not going to sit back and let you die."
Jaune said his eyes glaring daggers into Kage as she simply shrugged his shoulders.
"If you want to waste your time be my guest," Kage said shrugging indifferently as Jaune gripped his shoulder as a cold fire burning in his cerulean eyes as he glared at his friend. "Saving my friends life is never a waste. As long as I'm the team leader of this team, you will live you hear me?"
"Loud and clear leader. Now let's go Ludo hates to be kept waiting...
"Ah! How are my favorite first years doing?" Ludo asked team ARKM taking a sip from a mug in his hands. As the young? The man asked team ARKM of their well being as he sat behind his large oak desk as the cold fire of the massive fireplace crackled behind him as the fiery figure of miss Heil glared at them. Standing firmly behind them as Jaune nodded. "We are fine sir. What is the mission today?"
Jaune asked stepping forward boots clinking together both hands closed behind his back as Ludo smirked at him.
"Simple. Since you are recovering from a rough mission, I am sending you on an easy one."
"Easy?"
"Yes easy. You are to ride a bullhead to a demilitarized zone of the wilds, and assist friendly white fang to dismantle an operation base so that they may transport their supplies back to Bastion."
"That sounds... easy?"
"It is. There are no Grimm, no enemies although! There are scattered reports of actual hunters in the are. These reports are far and few between and should pose no threat to such accomplished students as your selves. In the meantime, you are there only to supervise the moving of supplies. Tha't not too bad now, is it? And to make it easier! I am assigning Zach and Hino to you as well for added.. protection... Now that' to so bad is it?" Ludo asked his silver eyes shining brightly like daggers in the night as Jaune gulped.
"No sir... we will do this mission-
"Not that you have a choice." Miss Heis said her voice full of virulent hatred as she glared her voice burning the air as Jaune felt the paint begin to chip form his bronze gold carapace armor as Ludo sighed.
"You will depart immediately good luck and be ready for a real mission once you return ok? I have just been alerted to a certain.. situation with a Bastion staff member that needs your assistance and I will be exiting success this time. I do not normally tolerate failures Jaune and I will not tolerate them twice. Should you fail me again ther will be consequences to your shortcomings. Do I make myself clear?" The man asked lower his eyes and shooting a glare that pierced Jaune's heart making his soul cry as he gulped.
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Now good luck, you are going to need it." Lud said ominously as team ARKM gulped as one and left the room to go meet thier fate...
The ride to the DMZ was uneventful. As Jaune and his team say in the bullhead for four hours taking a trip to the mission zone. The mission was supposed to be easy, and the fact that ludo had not seen fit to assign ther teacher liaison Uzpei to them seemed to respect that fact.
As Jaune had landed on the DMZ seeing the massive trees that seemed more substantial than most buildings in the distance as the bullhead fell and the team went to work.
Since he was given overall command of the six students and seeing how he did not want to put Ruby at risk.
Jaune ordered her and Mika to go to the main branch out the Fang base. And oversee the central dismantling while he and Hino and Kage and Zach went to the wing bases to manage their disassembling.
As the teens split up Jaune found himself alone for what might be the first time since he met the girl with Hino in a large grass field surrounded by trees taller than most buildings overlooking a broken down pile of guns and arms as the flag grunts here had been taking out load after a load of weapons from the main base as Jaune sighed looked into his as maks as Hino smiled her brown eyes shining in the midday sun as Jaune felt his heart jump! As the beautiful girl walked up to him.
"You look troubled Jaune. Is something the matter?" The girl asked her voice smooth and melodic like a warm summer breeze or a babbling creek as Jaune fought the urge to keep his eyes on hers.
As he saw the shapely hourglass figure of the girl, her beautiful tanned sun-kissed skin that reminded him of caramel and spice. As her chest was easily the same if not bigger than Yang's swayed heavily in her tight, new brown armor.
That look like a dead ringer for Kage's old plate mail that he had still. Not even back and was current dress in typical Death Korps slim black fatigues as Hino's brown eyes that simmering like molten gold nearly made Jaune drown in them.
"NO! I'm just...
"Just?"
"I...
"Are you feeling lost? Like you have no purpose?"
The girl asked putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, that was not undermined by the massive red drill on top of it as Jaune gulped.
"I... Yes? I guess-
"Would you like for me to give you purpose?"
"Like what?"
Jaune asked as Hino smiled in a way that made his heart flutter as she gripped a Fang mask and picked up.
"You speak of being a leader Jaune but you must find your conviction. You must be your own light."
"Convictions? What do you mean?" Jaune asked as the girl smiled in a way that made his heart lurch.
"Like your mask. You are a captain of the Death korps, but you do not wear your captain insignia? Why is that? Do you feel unworthy? Incomplete?" Hino asked putting on the fang mask snapping it securely over her face as she turned to Jaune.
"Jaune the light is calling for you and-
The girl was in interrupted as Jaune, and she froze as the sky ripped open. As both teens froze as a glowing red portal appeared in mid-air as a woman? Dressed in bright red and black armor, with flowing black hair wearing a bird mask? Of all things stepped out of it taking a step onto the grass as the portal closed behind her. Vanishing in a flash of red light as Jaune instinctively put his gas mask on. Covering his face with the sterile cold interior filtering his world into twin portals of light streaming through the view slots as it snapped into place on his head. Covering his face from the world as Jaune fully dawned his Death Korps insignia as he had to admit that it felt right. As the woman snapped her face to him. Drawing a long red sword and stepping towards them menacingly as Hino glared at her.
"It looks like we have an intruder," Hino said her drills revving up with a manic VRRRTT!
As her drills spooled up as the woman took an offensive stance as Jaune glared at her as he pulled out his plasma pistol in his left hand. Drawing his sword with his right as he activated the disruption filed as the harch acrid smell of ozone filled the air as the boy took a stance...
"God dammit! Why the hell do we get stuck with the bust work!?" Zach asked grumbling as he and Kage filled papers, of all things, going over supply logs for the items Bastion would be receiving. Making sure to check and also the dozens upon dozens of stacks of white paper as a Fagns secretary assisted them.
"At least no one is trying to kill us right?" Kage asked his beast fired as he filed his papers as Zach moaned.
"Oh don't give me that shit! I know you want to be out ther blasting head of these dame nutjobs not filing papers with them!"
Zach said as the faunus woman briefly grimaced before returning to thier work.
"You could just enjoy this you know? Not every day no one tries to shoot at us."
"Hah! I sit here and the busy work while jailbait and the green sociopath for a sit-down! I bet they are laying down doing jack shit talking about boys and painting their nails!"
Zach said mocking flapping his hand like an imitation of chatting girls as Kage simply shrugged his shoulder. His temporary black armor hugging him like a glove.
"You think Ruby paints her nails?"
"I don't give a shit with the red jailbait does in her spare time! All I care about is-
Zach froze as he and Kage both froze at once as the sound of gunfire and human screaming and loud explosions filled the room.
"You hear that?" Zach asked drawing Fell and Slight as Kage nodded.
"Sure do. You thinking what I'm thinking?" Kage as dar his massive pistol as Zach grinned as his black eyes flickered in anticipation.
"It's time to kick ass and-
WHAMM!
The metal door exploded in a burst of yellow flying off its handle as it smacked right into the faunus woman taking her back and cracking, her head open like a wet grape. Cutting it in half and burst her head apart spilling blood and brains all over the wall, Dying it red as her body was flung into the wall a lone figure stepped out of the smoke and-
"Red? When the hell did you get tits?"
Zach asked genuinely confused as Ruby? No not Ruby Kage thought as this woman looked like Ruby but was older and as Zach said not flat. Or close to flat as the woman smiled? At the ina y that sent a shiver down his spine.
"My name is Summer Rose! And you are terrorist are all under arrest!"
The woman said happily smiling at them with her hands on her hips, a long silver caple flowing behind her back and her silver combat boots absolutely covered with blood and bones of dead Fang members as Zach and Kage both froze as the turned to each other as one.
"Did she just say...
"Yup," Kage said as he and Zach began to fan out as Summe drew a twin pair of short swords at them.
"So that mean's she's...
"She's her mom," Kage said as Zach groaned.
"Dammit! I know what you are going to say! I just know it! But Kage, please! Just listen to me and-
"Zach. We can't kill her.' Kage said dryly as Zach whined.
"Why not?! Can't I just maim her a little!? I promise it'll just be a leg-
"Try not to kill her ok?" Kage said as Zach moaned. "Fine. I get it, but I don't like it."
"Good. Now I go left?"
"And I go right," Zach said as the boys spread out as Summer gave a disturbingly Ruby like smirk.
"Looks like you two want to do this the hard way!"
Summer said as the boy's split up each taking a different path as the two sides charged...
AN: Well! I promised you a Beacon reunion but I bet you didn't expect one like that! The stakes are raised the plan is set and it's time for a fight! Ruby found her purpose in life! Kage showed he was dying?! Jaune don's his mask and this is the first chapter where Mika didn't get a line?! Oh well! It's time for a fight boys and girls as the next chapter will be Jaune Arc! and Hino Fang! Versus! Raven Branwen! Along with Venke Kage! And Zach! Versus! Summer Rose! Who will win!? Four of the best and most heavily armed and trained members of the Death Korps or!? Two of Remnants best huntresses!? Check in next time to find out! No spoilers but this fight is going to get messy! Even by my standards.
PS. Chapter notes! This is going to be a tangent so sit tight! If you don't know I write, I write a lot I have five stores currently running on fanfiction right now and I got to set some things up. Now I know this is going to sounds strange but when I write all of my stories are loosely connected to one another. As in separate universes but happening in more or less tandem with one another. You see a long time ago I had this idea of having all my stories interconnected by some type of extended universe and I did! I used something called extraneous dust a type of dust that can teleport inorganic objects across realities that I decided would be cool if I paired up stories having different series affecting one another.
An example of a story pairing of mine that did not work out well mainly because I did not know what I was doing was Jaune Torchwick and Endangered Species. These two stories were originally supposed to be heavily intertwined but I didn't know how to work it out well so it failed but! I got my stuff together an know this is how it's going to work! All of my fics will have another fic that is paired with them. A fiction where extraneous dust will cause thing form one fic to show up in the other.
For example, the pairing fic for Bastion is Game on link here. s/12805373/1/Game-on
Since these two are going to be some of my longest running fics they are now paired up. Using extraneous dust the fics will at times interact with each other either indirectly directly affecting the flow of the other story. So from now on since I'm dabbling in the multiverse idea the events of Game On and Bastion may or may not directly or indirectly influence the other story. As from now on any type of nonorganic items can travel between fics with the dust meaning weapons, items things that are not biological can appear in the fics and well that's goign to cause things to get a bit interesting! In the fics. Working on Game on now so YEAH!
Also! For pacing purposes as you can now see all of Bastion is divided up into pillars. As you can see Bastion now takes place in pillars. There are going to be three pillars in this fiction that the main character must overcome before they go back to Beacon! So far we are on Pillar one. And are about half done with it as we are one and a half months into Bastion's timeline of three months till Vytal! Seeing how most of this fic takes place in a concentrated amount of time so the fiction while goign strong is nowhere near finished! And ther are a lot of battles, fighting, death, pain, and as always the Pat special! Suffering! To come for our heroes! As a good saying goes, do you ever suffer enough? So strap in and get ready! Cause I'm writing and I'm not stopping any time soon...
PSS. What did Ruby ever do to me? Nothing! I like Ruby, Jaune, and Blake as my favorite characters! I love them! I just show my love differently than others! And when I love something it suffers. And remember! Tragedy is indispensable to the creation of character!
Omake. Hero of Remnant part 14. The Descent.
There where many things in Jaune's life that he did not like. He did not like waking up to the sound of gunfire in the morning, a bad choice of a pet peeve in a military career. he did not like having cold Recaff. he did not like it whenever someone yelled We need a commissar! And he especially did not like getting wet. Which was just what he was doing as he slogged through the sewers cursing every last saint with his expansive vocabulary all the way up to Monty himself as he led the pack of penal legionnaires, inquisitorial soldiers and one rather.. parched inquisitor. Who could not keep her eyes off his ass as Jaune as perusal only had Ren to count on as the two men led the way through the sewer...
"Tea sir?"
Ren asked in his typical phlegmatic tone as he somehow had a cup of tea? In his hand, as he held it up to Jaune who despite the absurdity of drinking tea in answer took it with his pistol hand.
"Thank you, Ren, I-
"Where the hell did you pull that from?" The woman Emerald? Asker her blood red eyes narrowing with suspicion as Jaune sighed.
"Does it matter?" He asked the dark-skinned woman who glared.
"I think it does matter when you pull out tea in a sewer fully made with no teacups! Where the hell did you get the hot water?"
Emerald asked incredulously her red eyes narrowed into slits as she waved her green pistols defensively.
"I... Ren?"
"I have my ways," Ren said calmly waving his melta pistols as he and Jaune led the way. The group of hodgepodge imperials had been down in the sewers for hours. Walking through miles of filth ignoring the war going on above thier very heads as-
"DOWN!" Ren suddenly yelled as Jaune knew far better than to question his best friends words as he hit the nearest concrete pillar just as a loud CLANG! Filled the air as a plasma? Round of all things impacted the wall behind them making the imperials scatter for cover as more bright flashes lit the tunnel as the shooting began.
Now on the list of the things Jaune did not like getting shot at while being significantly lower than being shot was still pretty damn high on his do not want list. As he hid behind a pillar. CRACK!
More plasma shots rang from the other end of the tunnel. Illuminating the otherwise dark sewer tunnels with bright flashes of blue and white. Filling the air with the arcid HISS! Of molten angry as the FISHTT! Of steaming water as the energy rounds impacted the sewage as a loud BANG! Filled the air as the enemy sniper shot into their huddled mass of troopers the hard slug nearly taking off Jaune's head but only narrowly missing his head and hitting his cap. Blowing off his commissarial cap as he sighed.
That was my favorite cap. Jaune thought despondently as his favorite piece of clothing sank into the mud and-
BANG! Another sniper shot whipped by his head nearly taking it off as he finally had enough.
"Black! Will you please! Do me the great pleasure of killing that damn sniper?!" Jaune asked as the penal trooper fell into step, sliding down into the sewage and slither up like a snake next to Jaune.
"On it boss!" The man said peering through his sniper scope taking his time and aiming his custom long lass in the dark waiting for another bright flash of plasma to-
CRACK!
Marcus fired his gun as a satisfying cry of a dying enemy filled the air as the enemy briefly stopped firing as Jaune revved up his chain sword. Crocea Mors its teeth flashing as-
"WAIT!"
Pyrrha? Said as the inquisitor in a shockingly even for an inquisitors point of view bad idea lurched out from cover to sprint out!? Into the dark as Jaune balked.
"Pyrrha?! What are you doing!?"
Jaune hissed as the inquisitor left the stunned troopers alone in the dark for well over ten minutes As Jaune had half a mind to turn around go home drink soma Tanna before this day got any worse when as usual it got worse. As Pyrrha cam back with Fang!? Member as the inquisitor had a sickeningly happy smile plastered on her face as she led a trio of enemy soldiers into thier midst and-
"Commissar. Troopers, associates. Mett Sirrehna Khan. She is our new ally for this mission." The woman said as the familiar faunus stepped forward her eyes locking onto Jaune as he balked.
"Hello Commissar, it looks like we are about to work together some more yes?" The cat woman asked blinking her eyes in a wolfish manner as a pit formed in Jaune's stomach as he somehow knew his life was only going to get much, much worse...